Barcelona have announced two defensive renewals within an hour of each other, keeping Marta Torrejón until 2027 and promoting Carla Julià to the first-team squad on a contract through 2030. The agreements concern players separated by 16 years and almost 500 Barcelona appearances.
Torrejón is a 36-year-old leader who joined the club in 2013 and has won 33 trophies. Julià is a 19-year-old left-back who arrived last summer, became a regular starter for Barcelona B and is now taking her first permanent place in Pere Romeu’s senior squad.
They are not direct positional replacements. Torrejón usually plays centrally or on the right, while Julià operates mainly at left-back. Read together, however, the announcements show Barcelona addressing two stages of their defensive future at the same time.
Transfer Snapshot: Marta Torrejón
- Player: Marta Torrejón
- Age: 36
- Position: Centre-back/right-back
- From: Barcelona
- To: Barcelona
- Transfer status: Contract renewal
- Contract: Until 30 June 2027
Transfer Snapshot: Carla Julià
- Player: Carla Julià
- Age: 19
- Position: Left-back
- From: Barcelona B
- To: Barcelona first team
- Transfer status: Contract renewal and first-team promotion
- Contract: Until 30 June 2030
One More Season for a Defensive Constant
Torrejón joined Barcelona from Espanyol in 2013, aged 23, and quickly established herself in the defence.
She has since made more than 460 appearances and scored over 70 goals. Barcelona describe her as the second-most decorated player in the history of the women’s team, with 33 trophies, three fewer than Alexia Putellas.
Those achievements include four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles. Torrejón has also won nine league championships, nine Copas de la Reina and six Spanish Super Cups during a period in which Barcelona developed into one of Europe’s leading teams.
Her longevity has been matched by remarkable availability. Torrejón has made at least 30 appearances in every season since the 2013-14 campaign, although her involvement became more selective last year, when she played 22 times across all competitions.
That changing role gives the one-year renewal its importance. Barcelona are not committing to Torrejón as the long-term future of their defence. They are retaining a player who can still contribute in several positions while carrying enormous knowledge of the standards surrounding the team.
A Contract About More Than a Milestone
The coming season could bring Torrejón her 500th official appearance for Barcelona. That landmark would capture the scale of her contribution, but her value is not limited to longevity. Primarily a centre-back, she can also play at right-back, while her aerial ability has made her a consistent threat at attacking set pieces.
Torrejón also spent years carrying leadership responsibility for Spain. She retired from international football in 2019 after making 90 appearances, a national record at the time.
She considered whether to continue playing before deciding to remain at Barcelona for what she felt were the right reasons. The renewal consequently avoids becoming a ceremonial final chapter built around reaching 500 matches.
Torrejón is expected to rotate, providing experience in the dressing room and an option for Pere Romeu when required on the pitch. Her task is to remain useful while accepting that her minutes may no longer resemble those of her peak seasons.
Four Years for Barcelona’s New Left-Back
Julià’s agreement carries a completely different timescale. The 19-year-old joined Barcelona from Levante Las Planas in the summer of 2025 and spent her first season as a regular in the starting line-up for Barcelona B.
She also received her first opportunity under Romeu, making her senior debut in a Copa Catalunya match on 16 August 2025. Barcelona have now moved her permanently into the first-team squad and secured her future for four seasons.
There is still little senior evidence on which to judge Julià. She has not accumulated the first-team appearances or established profile that usually accompanies a promotion into Barcelona’s squad.
The length of the contract shows that the club’s decision is based on her development within the B team and what they believe she can become. Her first season will begin the process of proving whether she is ready to translate that promise into senior minutes.
Succession Without a Direct Handover
It would be too simple to present Julià as Torrejón’s successor. Julià is primarily a left-back. Torrejón has spent most of her career at centre-back while also covering the right. Their contracts do not represent one player immediately taking the other’s position.
The succession is broader than that. Barcelona are keeping a defender who understands the demands of winning major trophies while introducing another who has experienced only one season within the club’s system. Torrejón provides continuity during a period when Julià must adjust to first-team training, competition and expectations.
That does not guarantee opportunities for the younger defender. Promotion is only the beginning of her challenge, particularly inside a team with established senior players and immediate competitive demands.
Barcelona must ensure that first-team status becomes a genuine development step and not simply a change to Julià’s squad registration.
Source: FC Barcelona
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